Chess State Finals and Individual Age

Sixteen Somerset students competed against the best teams from across Queensland at the Chess State Finals, Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 October at St Joseph’s College, Gregory Terrace. The All-Girls State Finals also took place on 19 October at Tingalpa State School, and 16 Somerset girls took part.

A huge congratulations to the winners: Anglican Church Grammar School in the Secondary Open, MacGregor State School in the Primary Open, Brisbane Girls Grammar School in the Secondary Girls and King's Christian College in the Primary Girls. Somerset’s results included third in the Secondary Girls, third in the Primary Girls, equal Fourth in the Secondary Open, and equal second (fifth on countback) in the Primary Open.

Many matches were on a knife edge, and the schedule was gruelling. In the end it was nerves that decided the crucial match-ups. In the Primary Open, Somerset took an early lead with 11.5/12 in the first three rounds, but a 1 to 3 loss to MacGregor SS in Round 4 proved decisive.

Notable individual results:

• Melody Yang (6/7, =2nd and 3rd on tie-break in Primary Girls)
• Sophia Ahern (5/7, =8th in Primary Girls)
• Lyanna Chan (5/7, =4th in Secondary Girls)
• Nina Varcoe (4.5/7, 6th in Secondary Girls)
• Anson Qu (5.5/6, 2nd Board 3 in Primary Open)
• Kona Baldock (4.5/6, =4th Board 4 in Primary Open)
• Oliver Yang (4.5/6, =3rd Board 3 in Secondary Open)
• Byron Morris (4.5/6, 2nd Board 2 in Secondary Open)
• Charlie Liu (4.5/6, =3rd Board 4 in Secondary Open)

Full results

• Primary Girls
• Secondary Girls
• Primary Open
• Secondary Open

Gold Coast Individual Age Championship

Somerset had an excellent showing at the Gold Coast Individual Age Championship, held on Wednesday 31 October at Emmanuel College. Ninety-five Somerset students took on a record-breaking field of 737 students from all over the Gold Coast.thirteenf 13 titles, Somerset won an incredible eight.

**Top Somerset performer

• Jack Luke-Paredi (2002 champion, 6.5/7)
• Jennifer Yeung (2004 champion, 6.5/7)
• Byron Morris (2005 champion, 6.5/7)
• Jason Li (2005 =1st, 2nd on tie-break, 6.5/7)
• Charlie Liu (2005 =3rd, 5/7)
• Ben Atia (2005 =3rd, 5/7)
• Kenny Ming (2006 champion, 7/7)
• Oliver Yang (2006 =5th, 5/7)
• Kakeru Adachi (2006 =5th, 5/7)
• Eason Wang (2007 champion, 7/7)
• Bobby Long (2007 =7th, 5.5/7)
• Sophia Ahern (2007 =7th, 5.5/7)
• Melody Yang (2007 =10th, 5/7)
• Kona Baldock (2007 =10th, 5/7)
• Anson Qu (2008 champion, 7/7)
• Sasha Hanford (2008 =6th, 5/7)
• Aadi Rai (2008 =6th, 5/7)
• Ken Wu (2008 =6th, 5/7)
• Michael Rossiter (2009 =2nd, 6/7)
• Elijah Hadikusumo (2011 2nd, 6/7)
• Edwin Zhang (2011 =6th, 5/7)
• Alessandro Martinese (2012 champion, 6.5/7)
• Calen Tang (2012 =2nd, 6/7)
• Zhander Griffiths (2012 =4th, 5/5)
• William Baillie (2012 =4th, 5/5)
• Joshua Thompson (2012 =4th, 5/5)
• Harrison Qu (2013 champion, 5/7)

Upcoming Events

• Junior Masters (Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 November) – advanced
• One Day Challenge (Sunday 11 November) – beginner/ intermediate
• Gold Coast Blitz Ch and Gold Coast Transfer Ch (Sunday 25 November) – intermediate/ advanced
• Summer Chess Camp (Monday 17 – Wednesday 19 December) – all levels
• GC Summer Rapid (Thursday 20 December) – all levels